faith of Christ

3:9 faith of Christ. The connotation here is not “through faith in Christ,” but rather “that kind of faith of Christ” or “that body of faith about Christ.” The phrase “the faith” is found often in the New Testament (e.g., Acts 6:7; 14:22; Romans 14:1; I Corinthians 16:13; Ephesians 4:13; Philippians 1:27; Colossians 1:23; 2:7; I Timothy 4:1; 5:8; 6:12; II Timothy 3:8; 4:7; Titus 1:13; Jude 3), carrying this meaning—not our faith, but the body of doctrine about Christ’s person and work (from creation to consummation) in which we believe and upon which we take our stand—in other words, the whole Christian faith.